improving SQ using optical connection?

[simplicate]

The TOSLINK socket is poorly designed. The "door" is quite flimsy as you suggest. One wonders what the designers were thinking, perhaps Toshiba had the EE do the ME work on this one. It is a fairly amazing piece of optical/digital technology though.

I had a door break off on a Sansung TV and did a bit of reading and agree that it is a widespread problem.

[sleach]

Back to the point of the discussion....

I have just received my iFI iLink. Connecting it with a Cardas clear USB to mac mini and with Supra ZAC optical to the dialog. Playing this with Audirvana+ in extreme optimisation mode.

So I've been testing with Nicolas Jaar's Space Is Only Noise. There is a part of this tune, at about 4:00 where the cymbals come up. On some systems this sounds just like a hiss. On some you can hear the tiny ringing sounds when the cymbals are being struck. It is pretty subtle but there.

Optical Port: The optical port of the mac mini makes it sound more like a hiss. It is marginal, but you can't hear the musical ring very well.
Ifi Ilink: Through the Ifi Ilink you can hear the musical quality of the cymbal and hear the ringing. It gets just a little bit smeared when the tune gets more complicated.
Spark: Spark is very close to the Ifi Ilink but stays clearer as the tune gets more complicated.

Conclusion: using Spark as the player provides the best SQ.

The Ilink is actually making things a bit tricky technically - DSD processing is glitchy. Im not too bothered about that since DSD, while a great format, is still so niche that it is barely better than a novelty. But more troubling is that 24/192 is also glitchy - stuttering, confusing the phantoms into thinking the stream has stopped and resetting the volume. That sort of stuff. 24/96 plays perfectly though. Spark plays 24/192 without a hitch. My Mac mini is 2011 and the optical port is limited to 24/96.

I'm wondering whether to try modifying the PSU of my mac mini. At this point it seems as though it would be to try and get up to the level of spark. The main benefit is the convenience of other players like Audirvana and Roon which currently offer a better experience than Spark.

[Dvlt PhD]

Back to the point of the discussion....

I have just received my iFI iLink. Connecting it with a Cardas clear USB to mac mini and with Supra ZAC optical to the dialog. Playing this with Audirvana+ in extreme optimisation mode.

So I've been testing with Nicolas Jaar's Space Is Only Noise. There is a part of this tune, at about 4:00 where the cymbals come up. On some systems this sounds just like a hiss. On some you can hear the tiny ringing sounds when the cymbals are being struck. It is pretty subtle but there.

Optical Port: The optical port of the mac mini makes it sound more like a hiss. It is marginal, but you can't hear the musical ring very well.
Ifi Ilink: Through the Ifi Ilink you can hear the musical quality of the cymbal and hear the ringing. It gets just a little bit smeared when the tune gets more complicated.
Spark: Spark is very close to the Ifi Ilink but stays clearer as the tune gets more complicated.

Conclusion: using Spark as the player provides the best SQ.

The Ilink is actually making things a bit tricky technically - DSD processing is glitchy. Im not too bothered about that since DSD, while a great format, is still so niche that it is barely better than a novelty. But more troubling is that 24/192 is also glitchy - stuttering, confusing the phantoms into thinking the stream has stopped and resetting the volume. That sort of stuff. 24/96 plays perfectly though. Spark plays 24/192 without a hitch. My Mac mini is 2011 and the optical port is limited to 24/96.

I'm wondering whether to try modifying the PSU of my mac mini. At this point it seems as though it would be to try and get up to the level of spark. The main benefit is the convenience of other players like Audirvana and Roon which currently offer a better experience than Spark.

Wow...Thank you for that feedback!

p.s.- When you say "Spark", do you mean without optical? What are you using, WiFi?

[sleach]

Yes, I mean using spark as the player which connects to the dialog via wifi vs using Audirvana as the player and connecting to the dialog via optical.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sleach]

So I turned off the JET function on the IFI and now I can stream 24/192 over toslink to the phantoms without any stutter or glitches at all.

I was just listening to Warpaint's 'Hi' which has this amazingly spacious intro. And it was so good I thought I'd do a quick AB with Spark vs JRiver. With this tune I noticed a slight muddiness of the bass with JRiver. Spark was beautiful and as good as my main system.

conclusion: spark is better than optical for clear bass as well

I have ordered a Linear Power Supply for the Mac mini so I will try that next.

[MountainGuy]

I use an ifi ilink USB to SPDIF and optical converter, and then a optical cable from my pc (stationary, win 7). The optical (toslink) cable goes into the Phantom. The Dialog only gets AC and and RJ45 cable. Works like a charm. I think that the delay when connecting directly to the Phantom is slightly less than when connecting to the Dialog, but I have not been able to verify this.

I've just ordered an Ifi ilink myself!

I have just installed my second phantom after using a single for a while. I also have ethernet and power into the dialog, with optical into one of the phantoms.

My initial tests indicate that the optical input sounds a little better than playing straight through spark/wifi - the treble just a little less grainy and slightly lower noise floor. It is pretty marginal but that is going direct from the mac mini toslink port. I expect that to improve further with the ifi in place.

Unforunately the optical input of my dialog broke when I was setting it up (the little plastic hinge flap broke off). I would like to compare optical into the dialog too to see if it makes any difference.

sleach and curban, 

Do you mean that your optical is going into ONE phantom instead of the Dialog but you are getting playback in Stereo? I had thought Phantom optical is only for when you have one Phantom and not a pair.   


And in this scenario, are Your phantoms connected to the Dialog wireless or via cables?   If wireless that means Phantom is pushing the signal to the Dialog and then receiving back? 

I'm probably misunderstanding you - but worth an ask.

Thanks!

[Johnnydev]

I use an ifi ilink USB to SPDIF and optical converter, and then a optical cable from my pc (stationary, win 7). The optical (toslink) cable goes into the Phantom. The Dialog only gets AC and and RJ45 cable. Works like a charm. I think that the delay when connecting directly to the Phantom is slightly less than when connecting to the Dialog, but I have not been able to verify this.

I've just ordered an Ifi ilink myself!

I have just installed my second phantom after using a single for a while. I also have ethernet and power into the dialog, with optical into one of the phantoms.

My initial tests indicate that the optical input sounds a little better than playing straight through spark/wifi - the treble just a little less grainy and slightly lower noise floor. It is pretty marginal but that is going direct from the mac mini toslink port. I expect that to improve further with the ifi in place.

Unforunately the optical input of my dialog broke when I was setting it up (the little plastic hinge flap broke off). I would like to compare optical into the dialog too to see if it makes any difference.

sleach and curban, 

Do you mean that your optical is going into ONE phantom instead of the Dialog but you are getting playback in Stereo? I had thought Phantom optical is only for when you have one Phantom and not a pair.   


And in this scenario, are Your phantoms connected to the Dialog wireless or via cables?   If wireless that means Phantom is pushing the signal to the Dialog and then receiving back? 

I'm probably misunderstanding you - but worth an ask.

Thanks!

One optical to one phantom runs two phantoms in stereo, no problem

[MountainGuy]

One optical to one phantom runs two phantoms in stereo, no problem

Johhnydev, and both Phantoms connected wirelessly to the dialog rather than hard wired?  I must be slow - never knew this.   

In that case, can't someone also connect something like the DSpeaker between the computer source (i.e. USB to optical conversion) and the Phantom to modify and EQ the sound, as well as correct for room effects.   

MtnGUy

[sleach]

Yes, both run wireless. And yes, you could certainly do that with the the DSpeaker.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Johnnydev]

One optical to one phantom runs two phantoms in stereo, no problem

Johhnydev, and both Phantoms connected wirelessly to the dialog rather than hard wired?  I must be slow - never knew this.   

In that case, can't someone also connect something like the DSpeaker between the computer source (i.e. USB to optical conversion) and the Phantom to modify and EQ the sound, as well as correct for room effects.   

MtnGUy

And Yes, the phantoms wireless, only the dialog hardwired from my router